White Plains Hospital Earns NICHE Designation for Specialized Care of Older Adults

White Plains Hospital has received the NICHE, or Nurses Improving Care for Health System Elders, designation from the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at New York University (NYU). The designation recognizes a strong commitment in hospitals to geriatric nursing care, and makes White Plains one of only two hospitals in Westchester County to receive such recognition.

Jon B. Schandler, President and CEO of White Plains Hospital said, “This is a remarkable and valuable milestone for our Hospital, especially at a time when we are facing the realities of an increasing older adult population in Westchester Country.  The NICHE designation tells the public that White Plains is an elderly-friendly hospital, and that our staff, facilities and resources have all received specialized training and attention related to the specific needs of older adults.”

Paul Quinn, Director of Nursing at White Plains Hospital and NICHE Coordinator added, “We recognize the important issues facing the older population, such as hearing and vision problems, falls, gait, balance and memory and have put best practices into place to provide the highest quality of care.  Special renovations to our facility will also make the hospital easier to navigate for older adults.”  These renovations include facility upgrades such as the installment of hand rails in the hallways, the addition of more comfortable seating areas and large-print signage for patients and visitors.  Clinical staff including nurses, technicians and physicians, have all received specialized training in geriatric care to improve the inpatient experience for older adults and help them recover as quickly as possible.  Raj Buddhavarapu, M.D., Director of Geriatrics at White Plains Hospital explained, “Our goal is to help older adults heal and return to their homes as soon as possible, so that the many complicating factors that often accompany hospitalization in elderly patients, such as fear, discomfort, confusion and the susceptibility to infection, are minimized.”

According to the Westchester Alliance of Academic Institutions for Aging Related Studies, the population of adults over age 65 is expected to increase by 36% to over 55 million people between 2010 and 2020.  White Plains Hospital is expected to announce an expanded umbrella of comprehensive services for seniors focused around health maintenance later this Spring.

For more information on the services at White Plains Hospital, please refer to
www.wphospital.org